16735-04-9Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Tuning Conductance in π-σ-π Single-Molecule Wires
Su, Timothy A.,Li, Haixing,Klausen, Rebekka S.,Widawsky, Jonathan R.,Batra, Arunabh,Steigerwald, Michael L.,Venkataraman, Latha,Nuckolls, Colin
, p. 7791 - 7795 (2016)
While the single-molecule conductance properties of π-conjugated and σ-conjugated systems have been well-studied, little is known regarding the conductance properties of mixed σ-π backbone wires and the factors that control their transport properties. Her
Conductive molecular silicon
Klausen, Rebekka S.,Widawsky, Jonathan R.,Steigerwald, Michael L.,Venkataraman, Latha,Nuckolls, Colin
supporting information; experimental part, p. 4541 - 4544 (2012/04/23)
Bulk silicon, the bedrock of information technology, consists of the deceptively simple electronic structure of just Si-Si σ bonds. Diamond has the same lattice structure as silicon, yet the two materials have dramatically different electronic properties. Here we report the specific synthesis and electrical characterization of a class of molecules, oligosilanes, that contain strongly interacting Si-Si σ bonds, the essential components of the bulk semiconductor. We used the scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique to compare the single-molecule conductance of these oligosilanes to those of alkanes. We found that the molecular conductance decreases exponentially with increasing chain length with a decay constant β = 0.27 ± 0.01 A-1, comparable to that of a conjugated chain of C = C π bonds. This result demonstrates the profound implications of σ conjugation for the conductivity of silicon.
